Is it possible to use an iMac as an external monitor for a MacBook?

What is the process (if any) to turn off the iMac's system and make it essentially an external monitor for the MacBook?

No, it's not possible. Your iMac simply does not have a "video in" port for the MacBook's "video out" port. While Mike N. (nahyunil)'s option may give the illusion that you have two monitors, it does NOT turn off the system on the iMac. The iMac must be on and fully functional for that option to work.
-Doug

Similar Messages

  • Can i use my 21.5" imac as an external monitor for my macbook pro?

    I have a 21.5" iMac (with Intel processor) that I'm trying to use an external monitor for a new Macbook Pro.  Both machines have a thunderbolt input.  I bought a Belkin mini displayport to mini displayport connector, but my macbook is not displaying on the iMac.  I saw videos online showing this done with the 27" iMac, saying you just needed to press Command+F2, but that is not working for me.  I can't seem to find any posts confiming if I can use my 21.5" iMac this way though.

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4082303?start=0&tstart=0

  • Am I able to use a iMac 27" as a monitor for my MacBook Pro 15" ?

    Hi there,
    Am I able to use a (mini display) iMac 27" as a secondary monitor for my (thunderbolt) MacBook Pro 15" ?
    Are they able to connect to eachother?
    Many thanks,
    Seppiee

    I am under the impression that this kind of set up is not possible. However, there's a Cult of Mac article that talks about the feasability of such set up.

  • How do I use my IMac as a second moniter for my Macbook Pro?

    Okay, So I would like to use my IMac as a monitor for my mbp. The IMac is a 2010 model and the Macbook is 2012 (Not the retina).
    I'm a music producer and I'm sick of having to switch devices so I just want to keep all my stuff on the macbook but the screens way too small.
    What I want to do is use the mbp screen with the mixer section of logic  as well as use the IMac as a second moniter with the arrange screen.
    Is it possible to do this with an ethernet cable?
    if so
    How do I do it?
    Oh and a question on the side, Is mavericks worth the download?
    Thanks!!

    You can use the iMac as an external display for your MacBook Pro, always that you have got a 27-inch iMac. See > http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11302
    You have to purchase a Mini DisplayPort cable (Ethernet won't work, as this is not designed as a video cable to connect Macs), and then, press Command and F2 keys on the iMac.
    If you have got a 21'5-inch iMac, you can use an application like ScreenRecycler, which uses your network to use the iMac as an external screen

  • Using 27'' iMac (2012) as extended monitor for MacBook Air (2012)?

    Hi all, I'm trying to find a solution how to use my iMac as the extended monitor for my MacBook Air. I saw the video on YouTube >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bVOssjlsGY << but I am not sure if it is real or fake. I have checked the forums here and other sources, but I haven’t seen any official statement about the possibility to use thunderbolt cable for this purpose. Do you have any experiences with that? Or can you advice please?

    Yes, you can use the 27" as a monitor with Target display mode.  Just attach the two with a Thunderbolt cable and press Command F2 on the iMac.  It will become a secondary monitor for the MBair.

  • First is it possible to connect my imac eaRLY 2009 as display for my macbook white 2010?

    first is it possible to connect my imac eaRLY 2009 as display for my macbook white 2010? If so what exact cables on the market do i need to purchase to make this work? Please help me out. I cannot afford to buy a new mac so temporarily this is my only solution.
    Thanks to all my Mac buddies for your assistance

    The Early2009 20" or 24" iMac don't have any video-in capabilities.
    Depending on your needs, you can investigate or tryout AirDisplay or ScreenRecycler which enable use of a Mac from another Mac or Windows PC through network/wireless connections.
    Stefan

  • Can I use my 24 inch' 2007 imac as an external monitor for my PC

    can I use my 24 inch' 2007 imac as an external monitor for my PC

    No, sorry, you can't. Pre-Thunderbolt iMacs could to this, but with Thunderbolt-equpped iMacs they can only be used as a screen for other Thunderbolt-equipped computers. No company has yet to come up with a converter that works with Thunderbolt Macs. The only way you could get video from a game console into your Mac would be via a video capture device and the inherent lag in such capture would, I think, make most if not all games unplayable.
    Regards.

  • Can i use my 2010 20" imac as an external monitor for my Power mac

    can i use my 2010 20" imac as an external monitor for my Power mac? Sounded like a 'no' a couple years back, but not sure if there are any new adapters out there.

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4082303?start=0&tstart=0

  • Can the iMac be used as an external monitor for a MacBook?

    Can the iMac be used as an external monitor for a MacBook?

    What iMac is this ?
    If it is a 2009 or 2010 27" iMac than this http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924 could apply.
    Stefan

  • Using my iMac as a second display for my Macbook

    Hello. I was just wondering if it is possible to use my G5 (early 2008) iMac as a secondary display for my Macbook (late 2009) using a mini Dvi cable?
    Can anybody help?

    Use ScreenRecycler and a network connection.
    (51586)

  • Using a 27-inch iMac as an external display for my macbook air

    I would like Using a 27-inch iMac as an external display for my mac book air.
    i bought a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable, it's the Belkin Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable on apple store.
    I connect my imac and mac book air with this cable but the screen of my mac book air don't appear on imac screen.
    where is my error ?

    Morning seal, my experience suggests the latter of your two posts is the correct one. I have a 27" iMac with a mini display port (a 2-year old one, not the newer one with thunderbolt); and a brand new Mac book air with thunderbolt. I connected the two with a Belkin male-male mini display port to mini display port cable, and it works fine - press command f2, and the iMac acts as display for the MBA.
    The irony here is that the folks at the apple store in Paris assured me that this would NOT work, and that I needed to buy a €999 thunderbolt display to connect to my MBA. I thought I'd try anyway, since I had the cable to connect a MacBook pro to the iMac anyway... Glad I did.
    Bottom line: yes, despite all the confusion, the new MacBook air will connect to the minidisplay port of an older iMac 27"; and the cable it needs to do that is the older minidisplay port cable, not the thunderbolt one.

  • Using old G5 as large screen monitor for new MacBook

    Would I be able to use an old G5 as a large screen monitor for a MacBook or Mac Mini, using a VNC protocol such as ScreenRecycler (or another). If so, to what degree would the G5 OS have to be functional, i.e., if the video card and speakers are OK, but the OS is corrupted, could the G5 be used just as a monitor powered by the other device? I suspect the answer might be that it depends on what's corrupted; if so, how do I determine the G5's capability as only a monitor? Thanks!

    In the traditional sense, the iMac G5 cannot be used as a "monitor" because it does not have video input.
    I use ScreenRecycler. Here's how it works. Normally, if you use the built-in screen sharing feature of Mac OS X or run third-party VNC server software, you can view that Mac's screen in a window on another Mac (or any computer) using a VNC client program. That's regular screen sharing.
    ScreenRecycler acts as the VNC server software, except it creates a virtual second screen and serves it to any VNC client program. You can change the resolution and arrangement of that virtual second screen using System Preferences Displays pane, as you would with any real second display. It is actually very clever.
    In your case, the iMac G5 would be running the VNC client program (such as the developer's own JollysFastVNC) and displaying a window that shows that virtual second screen. When you make the program display it in full screen mode, the iMac G5 simulates a second display.
    So to answer your question, the iMac G5 would need to be fully functional in terms of the OS, because it has to be running normally in order to run the VNC client program. It is not running in some special different display mode; it is operating like a normal Mac and just pretending to be the second display for another Mac. And it should work well using an iMac G5 because a wired network connection (be sure to use a Cat-5e or better cable) will be at gigabit speeds. You can try the program in limited-time demo mode for free.

  • Is it possible to use my iMac as a display monitor ?

    I'd like to use my iMac as display monitor but I don't know if its possible. Anyone knows how it works ?

    There is a feature in OS X called target display mode that may allow you to do what you are looking for.
    Take a look at this article as it explains it in detail pretty well http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4469
    The main thing is that it is Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt or mini-display to mini-display/Thunderbolt. So if you are looking to hook a PC up to your iMac then you are out of luck as to my knowledge there are no VGA to mini-display adapters
    Also look out for what OS you are running and what model of mac you have.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3775 This article discusses a particular model of iMac that cannot use the Target display mode.
    Hope that Helps!

  • Can I use my iMac 2009 as an external monitor for a MacBook Pro

    I will soon be getting a new MacBook Pro with Retina display. It has an HDMI port.
    My current iMac 21.5" late 2009 model seems to have a port with what looks like a little monitor symbol, next to the firewire port. And the specs say:
    Graphics and video support
    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory3
    ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
    Built-in iSight camera
    Mini DisplayPort output port with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (adapters sold separately).
    Support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes
    Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display
    Does this mean that port is just for video output to an external monitor? Or is is possible to also do video in?
    On the one hand it feels like a waste to use a perfectly good iMac as a monitor. But the MacBook Pro actually has better specs, and so I was wondering if it is possible anyway.
    Thanks,
    doug

    Thanks for your reply. After reading the article though, I'm still not really sure what the answer is. For example, you mention something that can be done, with some hurdles to go through, for 27" iMacs. Mine is a 21.5" iMac, but seems to have the same port you mentioned in the article. Or maybe it isn't. Anyway, I'm still not sure if it is possible after reading that. Interesting information though.
    doug

  • Using my iMac as a main display for a MacBook

    I'm thinking about getting myself a MacBook Pro to replace my iMac, which I got in 2008.
    My question is, would it be possible to keep my current iMac and connect a MacBook to it, so that the screen of the iMac can be used as a main display for the MacBook?
    Thanks for your time

    Hi and welcome to Discussions,
    only the latest 27" iMacs have a video-in port.
    All iMacs prior the these, as your own iMac, only have a video-out port and therefor cannot be used for what you have in mind.
    However you might wanna have a look at ScreenRecycler http://www.screenrecycler.com/ScreenRecycler.html which, depending on your useage, may be sufficient.
    Regards
    Stefan

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